The benefits of learning true independence

Simon Marcus Gower, Jakarta

As the noted date in Indonesia's calendar of Aug. 17 approaches, homes and business premises alike become adorned in the red and white of this nation's flag and the word "independence" increasingly crosses people's lips. It is, then, perhaps ironic (and conceivably really rather sad) that children in Indonesia are quite consistently not really given sufficient opportunities to learn of and exercise their powers of independence.

Across a broad spectrum of Indonesian society examples may be found of children that are really not getting a chance to develop as independent individuals and thinking citizens of this nation. In a significant and regrettable sense, children are often effectively being helped to be helpless and, of course, this is neither a useful or healthy environment for them to grow up in.

From the very rich to the more typically less well-off there are examples of children that are either being over-protected or else over-restricted to such a degree that one is forced to wonder what the consequences are for their development. The example of a child, from a rather more affluent Indonesian family, being taken to school illustrates this point; and it should be pointed out that a child of this same age in many other places and circumstances in the world would neither need nor want to be taken to school.

This child, attending elementary school, lived within a short distance of the school that his parents had very deliberately chosen for him to attend. Many would describe the distance as "within a mere stone's throw" whilst everyone would, it is reasonable to countenance, describe the journey from his home to the school as well within walking distance.

However, the chosen mode of transport for this child was/ is bicycle. Now, again, in many other places and circumstances the obvious conclusion here would be that the child would ride his own bicycle to school. Indeed it might be considered more typical for a child to want, even demand, to ride his own bicycle to school perhaps even with some self-pride.

But no; this child would sit on the back of the bicycle in what might be described as a baby's seat whilst his parents' maid provided the pedal power and steering of the bicycle. As if this were not enough to cause one to frown, the maid would also be the one to have the child's back-pack on her back while the child sat in his seat carefree and legs a-dangling in what might be considered a rather pitifully helpless looking posture.

One would be forgiven for thinking that the child suffered from some infirmity or disability that meant that he could not use the bike for himself, but this is not the case. Upon arrival at the school's entrance he would happily skip from his seat and show some childish eagerness to enter school whilst his maid struggled to put the back-pack down and have him pull it -- trolley-like -- on its wheels the few steps between the curbside and the school door.

There can be little doubt that this child was being treated excessively. In effect a child that ought to be developing a sense of independence and the ability to do things for himself and make choices and decisions for himself was being continually treated like a baby. The result of such treatment is unlikely to be particularly positive or constructive in building the child's character and there are numerous examples of other children being spoilt to the point that any development of independence is almost entirely undermined.

Likewise, though, it is possible to see other situations in which children are not getting opportunities to develop independence. A key ingredient of independence must surely be those abilities and skills to make choices and decisions for one's-self. However, consistently children are robbed of opportunities to develop such ability and skill by, what may quite easily be apportioned as, heavy-handed impositions of control and institutionalized demands for conformity.

Schools and teachers may often be guilty of simply impressing on children their "need to conform" without simultaneously offering them the chance to understand, appreciate and "buy-into" why they should or might conform. An example of this would be the restrictive and prescriptive way in which textbooks can often be used in schools. Essentially textbooks can be seen as being used as prescribing and effectively limiting school students' powers of critical thought.

There is a consistency with which people expect there to be a "textbook" that children will follow in school but this can be seen as unfortunate and limiting. There is even a tendency for teachers to become "textbook dependent" for their teaching and, in turn, the students may become dependent on a textbook which may well prove inadequate and insufficient.

It is surely far better for students to develop skills of being able to source information from many different resources (whether a variety of books, newspapers, magazines, the internet and so on) and, ultimately, build-up a view of the world that reflects their own sense of independence rather than their dependence on a singular and possibly incomplete or inaccurate source.

The American essayist George Santayana once noted that "Declarations of Independence make nobody independent." Perhaps it would be appropriate for us to think of this at this time of Indonesia's Independence Day and think of how it applies to children. Children need to be given chances to nurture their own sense of independence.

Prescriptive, restrictive and authoritarian declarations of independence do little to foster and assist in the positive development of independence and the simultaneous appreciation and respect for our shared and much needed interdependence.

We can create learning environments for children that encourage their independence and lead them towards self-reliance. Qualities such as this can mean that they care more about themselves, about each other and about what they are doing and achieving. True independence interwoven with the knowledge of our interdependence will, almost inevitably, create learning and developmental opportunities that are far more fruitful and beneficial to the individual and society as a whole.

It is right and proper to celebrate and commemorate Indonesia's independence but perhaps the most fitting way of celebrating and commemorating it is by giving future generations a true sense of independence. Leaving children to be the subject of over-zealous "help" or excessive "control" will not serve the legacy of independence well.

The writer is Executive Principal of the High/Scope Indonesia School, Jakarta. The views expressed above are personal.